​‘Ukraine police show incredible restraint, US officers would respond with deadly force’

A protester sprays fire in the direction of the riot police during clashes in the centre of Kiev (AFP Photo / Genya Savilov) / AFP

To protect their own lives and people caught in the unrest, US police would respond with deadly force if confronted by violent rioters like those operating in Ukraine, Chuck Joyner, an ex-CIA and FBI agent told RT, sharing his professional assessment.

RT:Footage of the violence in Kiev has been
broadcast around the world. As a consultant to law enforcement on
the use of force, how would you react in such a situation?

Chuck Joyner: The videos that I saw were very
disturbing, and the police officers, in my mind showed incredible
restraint. In the United States, in that situation, they would
have been just fine using deadly force.

RT:How would you instruct Ukrainian police
in dealing with the protests if they continue?

CJ: I think throughout the history of riots, you
see if there is not a strong police presence, then the
antagonizers, the agitators, they become emboldened, they become
more violent and more aggressive. So there needs to be a strong
police presence in those circumstances to control the violence.

RT:Police in Ukraine have come in for
criticism especially from Washington. Given that rioters have
thrown Molotov cocktails, and both burnt and beat officers, is
that criticism fair?

CJ: I can’t get into the politics, but I can
look at it strictly from a police standpoint. And I think, again,
police have shown incredible restraint.

If you are in a situation – I’ve seen videos where police
officers are on fire – again that is a deadly situation. And they
certainly in the United States would have the legal right to use
deadly force in response to that. So any criticism of police
officers in those circumstances, I think, is unwarranted.

RT:Europe and America were quick to condemn
Ukrainian authorities. But we have seen similar responses across
the EU, as well as during the Occupy demonstrations in the United
States. So, tell me a little bit about these types of
scenarios.

CJ: In any situation in the United States, a
police officer has to evaluate the threat, the perceived threat.
So if the police officer perceives that there is a threat to
themselves or somebody else, they can respond with pepper spray,
batons, personal weapon strikes, electronic control devices.

If the threat rises to the level where they think they or
somebody else are being threatenedd with death or serious bodily
harm, they can respond with deadly force.

RT:The Ukrainian opposition is getting a
lot of support from the US government right now. What's your take
on that – could such backing impact the unrest?

CJ: Again, I can only look at it from a police
officer’s standpoint, and my belief would be police officers on
the scene, they also are apolitical. They are there just to
protect lives and property. So, their concern is: ‘Are they
agitators, are they violent protesters?’ And police have the
responsibility to respond to that and to quell that.

RT:If this happened in the US, what would
happen?
CJ: Hopefully it will never rise to the level where you
have people – I’ve seen people with firearms, I’ve seen people
with petrol bombs, Molotov cocktails, with hammers – that is a
deadly threat and our police would respond in kind.